Dominguez, Carter cap power display as Astros top White Sox

CHICAGO — Chris Carter was home again Monday night. He walked into U.S. Cellular Field still feeling nostalgic, still wondering what could have been if the White Sox hadn’t given up on him.

Carter was drafted by the White Sox in 2005, the year Chicago’s South Side team beat the Astros in the World Series.

Eight years and three stops later, Carter showcased his raw power Monday night while hitting two of the Astros’ five home runs in a come-from-behind 10-8 victory at U.S. Cellular Field.

“It’s great to beat the team that drafted you and traded you away,” said Carter, who was traded by the White Sox to the Diamondbacks in 2007. “It’s great to come back here and do that here.

“It’s been up-and-down for me this year, but hopefully it keeps working out for me down the line.”

In peril of wasting a majestic home run display — not to mention an early five-run lead — the Astros merely found some more power in the ninth inning. Matt Dominguez and Carter hit back-to-back home runs with two outs in the top of the ninth to salvage the come-from-behind victory before a crowd of 13,404.

Carter capped the scoring with a shot to right as the Astros took the opener of a three-game series on a night lefthander Brett Oberholtzer couldn’t protect an 6-1 lead.

Early lead nearly wasted

Rookie righthander David Martinez (1-0) got the victory despite giving up three runs on five hits over 22⁄3 innings. Martinez, who most likely will be shipped back to Class AAA Oklahoma City on Tuesday, relieved Oberholtzer and couldn’t stop the White Sox from capping a five-run rally to take an 8-7 lead in the sixth.

Lefthander Kevin Chapman was brought in to face Adam Dunn in the ninth inning after Paul Konerko put men on second and third with a ground-rule double to left. Jordan Lyles, who threw seven innings Friday, took over after Dunn walked to load the bases.

Lyles fell behind in the count 3-0 against Avisail Garcia before ultimately getting him on a called third strike to earn his first major league save on a night Jason Castro and Brett Wallace also homered for the Astros.

“Just a great job overall by everybody, the whole team,” Astros manager Bo Porter said. “You look at (Chicago’s) five-run inning, and for these guys to respond the way they responded, it speaks to the resilience of the ballclub. I couldn’t be more proud of them.”

Castro led off the second with a home run to left. Dominguez followed with a single, and Carter walked. One out later, Brandon Barnes singled. The Astros caught a major break when Garcia let the ball go under his glove as he attempted to scoop it up.

Dominguez and Carter scored on the error to give the Astros a 3-0 lead. Wallace led off the fourth with a home run, and Carter added a two-run homer in the fifth to forge a 6-1 advantage.
After making it 7-3, the White Sox scored five in the sixth to go ahead 8-7. Dominguez reached on a fielder’s choice, took second on a wild pitch and scored on Carter’s single to center to tie the score at 8-8 in the seventh.

Porter rewarded again

Dominguez and Carter took care of the rest in the ninth.

“We know that the power is there,” Porter said of Carter. “We just want more consistent contact. It’s a game like today that reminds you and makes you feel confident when you write him in the lineup that he has an opportunity to do what he did tonight.”

Carter appreciated the opportunity to prove himself, particularly against the team that drafted him.

“It was the first team you get drafted by,” he said. “You think you’re going to get to the majors, and you grow up with that team a little bit. Then you get traded away, and you’ve got to start all over again. It’s good to come back and see all the coaches I had back in the day.

“When I got drafted, they went to the World Series that year. I thought that’s where I wanted to be.”